Apple Preparing For New iPhone in Third Quarter — TAIPEI—Apple Inc. has placed orders for key components used in a next-generation iPhone it is preparing to launch sometime in the third quarter, according to people familiar with the situation. — According to some suppliers of components to Apple …

Microsoft wants Samsung to pay smartphone license: report — (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has demanded that Samsung Electronics Co Ltd pay $15 for each smartphone handset it makes based on Google Inc's Android operating system as the software giant has a wide range of patents used in the mobile platform …

Google Tests Google+ for Domains — A reader of this blog spotted some interface elements which show that Google+ will be available in Google Apps. … Right now, there's no support for Buzz or Profiles in Google Apps, but that should change in the near future.

Is Google's Hangouts Its Killer App? — Last night a chatroom changed my life. — But it wasn't just any chatroom. It was a virtual “hangout,” the group video chat service that is a prominent feature of Google+, Google's new social-networking service that aims to challenge Facebook..

Steve Jobs' bio gets a new title — “iSteve: The Book of Jobs” was the publisher's idea. The author had second thoughts. — Amazon still doesn't have the title quite right — The first biography of Apple's (AAPL) CEO to get Steve Jobs' blessing — and cooperation — hasn't yet been published.

Virgin Media announces its streaming music deal with Spotify — UK ISP Virgin Media has inked its long-anticipated partnership with streaming music service Spotify. The ISP will be offering Spotify to its customers over broadband, mobiles and TVs - the latter through an integration with its TiVO-powered set-top box.

Media moguls focus on digital dollars at Sun Valley — (Reuters) - Media and technology moguls gather in Idaho this week to once more debate a shift to a digital world, but the talk this year will finally focus on how to make money off it. — Unlike in years past, this year's attendees …

Sony quietly tests PlayStation Network revamp — Sony is developing a PlayStation Network design upgrade that could transform the online environment into a more image-driven layout along the lines of Xbox Live and Steam, Reg Hardware has learned. — Many PSN users say the current PSN …

For Europe's start-ups, Silicon Valley still calls — Is there life outside of California for Europe's tech community? By Kim Hjelmgaard, MarketWatch LONDON (MarketWatch) — “Go West,” young technology company. That sentiment, with its compass-point directive, is both a rallying cry …

The Perk Bubble Is Growing as Tech Booms Again — To Woo and Keep Employees, Start-Ups Stress Playthings; a Nap in the Tree House — At the new headquarters of San Francisco startup Airbnb, quirky amenities like an in-house tree house and a “peace room” give the office a “back to the dotcom '90s” feel.